Baked Salmon Mango Salsa (Printable)
Tender salmon baked to perfection paired with vibrant mango salsa for a fresh, healthy dish.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Salmon
01 - 4 salmon fillets, approximately 5.3 ounces each, skin-on or skinless
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
04 - 1 garlic clove, minced
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Mango Salsa
07 - 1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
08 - 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
09 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
10 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
12 - Juice of 1 lime
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
02 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
03 - Place salmon fillets on the prepared tray and brush each evenly with the olive oil mixture.
04 - Bake fillets for 12 to 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
05 - While salmon bakes, combine diced mango, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño (if using), cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss gently to incorporate.
06 - Remove salmon from oven, transfer to plates, and top each fillet with a generous portion of mango salsa. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges if desired, then serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Salmon cooks in 15 minutes flat, making weeknight dinners feel genuinely special instead of rushed.
- The mango salsa tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really you just needed a sharp knife and two bowls.
- It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you're not sacrificing anything—just gaining flavor and freedom.
02 -
- Overcooked salmon is dry and disappointing—aim for just-set flesh with a hint of translucence at the center, and it will coast to perfect as you plate it.
- The salsa must be made fresh and eaten within a couple of hours, or the mango starts to weep and the whole thing becomes watery and sad.
- Ripe mango matters more than almost any other ingredient; a hard, underripe one will taste like sad squash.
03 -
- Don't skip the lemon zest—it adds brightness that zest-free versions can never quite reach, and it's the difference between pretty good and genuinely memorable.
- Make the salsa just before serving so every bite stays crisp; prep it an hour early and the mango releases its water and everything gets sad and soggy.
- Line your baking tray with parchment before you start—it saves 10 minutes of cleanup and lets you plate directly from the paper without the salmon sticking.